Wolf Princess Sold to the Dragon King novel Chapter 295

Chapter 295: Are You Smarter Than A Beta? (No.)

There’s a fine line between a brilliant play and a death wish. Damon Tavian was about to tap-dance across one with landmines on both sides.

Renwick was a paranoid bastard with a God complex, and Damon was betting his balls that the bastard’s ego was louder than his instincts. He also knew Maddox Drakencrest was dangerously perceptive, cut from the same cloth as Nicholas in that way.

Chess was over. Poker was loading. And Damon was about to play two hands at the same goddamn table. In the common tongue, this would be referred to as two briefings duct-taped together and sold as one.

The first was pure theater for Renwick. The second was coded subtext for Maddox, who hopefully knew how to count cards because the penalty for misreading this table was a Beta-sized body bag.

The gamble: Would Maddox Drakencrest play ball?

Damon was all-in on yes.

DOMINO 68: THE GODFATHER GETS PLAYED AGAIN

GREYHALL CROSSING

"Drakencrest." Damon gave Maddox a nod in front of Renwick.

The way you nod at your drug dealer in a temple. Casual. Controlled. Normal. Exactly three degrees of head tilt like a psychopath. Any less and it looked dismissive. Any more and it looked like friendship.

PLAY 1: THE FALSE TELL

In poker, the guy with the blankest face and no tells is the one who invites a full cavity search.

Damon knew Renwick was aware that Nicholas had sailed to Velkaris weeks ago for Guinevere. Therefore, logically, Damon would have gone with him. He also knew Renwick had jack-shit on what happened once they got there or how tangled all of them were.

The nod plus dropping ’Drakencrest’ instead of some fancy-ass title was Damon’s way of telling Renwick he wasn’t playing hide-the-sausage.

Translation: Damon handed over a purposeful tell of the classic magician’s ’see, nothing up my sleeve’ variety. Renwick would continue to take the interaction at face value.

"Tavian." Maddox returned the nod. "Where the hell is my wife?"

PLAY 2: THE MARKED DECK

"Not here. I’m sorry you came all this way. I can fill you in, but it would be best in private," Damon said to Maddox, then he looked at Renwick. "Alpha Lunaris should also be here if he has the time."

Damon greeted Maddox normally, but hit the FORMAL-TITLE button for Renwick Lunaris. Damon was not the overly formal type which meant the title was deliberate. The verbal equivalent of putting on a necktie at a barbecue. The goal was to light a warning light for Maddox.

Translation: Every card played from here on out has an Alpha-sized watermark on it.

PLAY 3: THE TABLE IMAGE

PLAY 4: THE CHIP STACK READ

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